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Custom Jersey Numbering & Lettering

We are pleased to announce that Discount Hockey is now the premier retailer for custom hockey jerseys! We know there are tons of options when it comes to creating the perfect jersey for your adult league or youth travel team, so we will make it as easy as possible for you. Here is a list of the different types of lettering and embroidery that we offer, along with a description, advantages, and disadvantages of each:

Vinyl Heatpress | Names, Numbers and/or Logos

Vinyl is a specially designed material that comes in rolls and is cut by a special vinyl cutter into unlimited shapes and sizes. Names and numbers are spaced perfectly and are heat pressed into the jersey. The heat press melts the vinyl into the jersey for a durable finished product.

Advantages:- The ability to create names, numbers, and designs on a computer and have them immediately cut and applied to a jersey makes this the most popular and the least expensive option.- The vinyl comes in many colors.- The use of a vinyl cutter allows us to make as few or as many jerseys as needed in a very short period of time.- We also have pre-cut numbers and letters for small jobs that often allow for next day completion of jerseys.

Disdvantages:- We limit the use of vinyl to one color because other options, such as a sublimated patch, are more attractive and less expensive.- Heat pressed vinyl is not quite as durable as a silk screen or stitched twill product.

Example:

Twill Sim Stitch | Names and Numbers

These are black and white letters and and numbers that are made of twill material, but have a zig-zag edge etched into them that looks very close to actual stitching.

Advantages:

- Turn around times are very quick. The names and numbers are simply heat pressed on just like vinyl, but with a very different look.

Disadvantages:- Only one font is available.- Only available in black or white. However, if you need larger quantities, we can order the color you need.

Example:

Sublimated Jersey | Names, Numbers, and/or Logos

This is an amazing new process where the material of the jersey is colored before the jersey is made. The look is similar to vinyl in that there isn’t any depth. However there is no change in sheen, making it difficult to discern the borders of a design.

Advantages:- Designs are the most durable. Because the design is embedded in the fabric, there is nothing to wear off.- The jerseys weigh less due to nothing being stitched or pressed onto them.- The way light reflects off the vinyl, twill, and stitching gives it a high-end look.- We also have pre-cut numbers and letters for small jobs that often allow for next day completion of jerseys.- Designs can involve the whole jersey, not just a patch.- Individual player names and numbers are feasible.- Reorders can processed with a minimum order of only three jerseys. The cost is on par with a decorated NHL replica jersey.

Disadvantages:- More costly than a vinyl heat press design.

Sublimation Examples:

Twill | Letters, Numbers, and/or Logo Patches

Twill is a polyester fabric with a classic, high-end look that most players desire. It doesn’t have to be sewn. Sewing creates a very finished look because the eye is used to seeing two fabrics sewn together, but sewing the outline of numbers and letters is very costly. If one is willing to pay the extra cost of sewing, an option is to sew with a different color thread, creating a border that adds a second color to the lettering or numbers. A twill patch is the most common choice for adding a logo to a jersey. In the past, different color twill patches were sewn to create a two, three or four color logo. This was costly and limited your logo to only a few colors. Today, a sublimated patch is far more decorative and cost-efficient. Here, the patch is printed with your design.

Advantages:- A sublimated patch is the most durable and cost effective method of adding a logo to your jersey - even if the design only uses two colors.- The cost is the same, whether you use one color or a thousand.- We can create beautifully detailed graphics from .jpg or .eps (vector) files. However, there is a one-time conversion fee for converting .jpg files into a vector image and/or properly sizing the image.- The sublimated patch will neither fade nor peel up from the jersey if heat pressed.

Disadvantages:- If a hand-sewn patch is preferred over a heat pressed patch, it is costly and can significantly delay an order.

Examples:

One Color:

Two Color:

Unlimited Color Patch:

NHL-Quality Twill Crest | Logos

Look closely at the crest of an NHL jersey. You will see different color twill (fabric) as well as stitching. This is a sublimated patch logo with embroidery. The addition of stitching as a border or to create detailed images creates the most professional look possible. The drawback of only a sublimated patch is the lack of depth. It is a picture on fabric. To turn that picture into a real crest, add embroidery.

Advantages:- Visual complexity and depth.- Similar quality to NHL teams' jerseys.- Only slightly more costly than a basic sublimated patch logo.

Disadvantages:- Minimum order quantity is 50 crests. However, one can order extra crests (without the jersey) to be heat pressed in later years for new team members or onto warmup jackets, fan apparel, etc.

Examples:

Now that you know all about the differences between our numbering, lettering, and logo options, take a look at our jersey section! Need to order enough jerseys to outfit a whole team? Our Team Sales section will have everything you need to be the Captain of your club.

2 Comments for “Custom Jersey Numbering & Lettering”

greg neeb on Jun 26, 2016

hi, just to be clear, we need two jerseys per player – one red and one white. thank you.

Greg Neeb

greg neeb on Jun 26, 2016

hi. i am looking for a red and a white numbered jersey for a u18 tournament team. we would like it to be inexpensive. we need probably 15 player jerseys and 1 goalie jersey. the team name is new jersey gladiators. we will need them by august 1. please let me know how much this will cost. generally speaking we will want L, XL, and XXL. Thank you.